“The terms of the treaty of Versailles explain the problems faced by the Weimar
republic 1919-24” how far do you agree with this statement?
Paragraph 1 – treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was a disaster. Throughout Germany there was widespread rejection
and condemnation of its terms.
The fact that it was signed is seen to have undermined the Weimar Republic in itself, as
those who signed it became known as the ‘November criminals’ and this gave birth to the
‘stab in the back’ myth where it became commonly believed that…
Germany found it impossible to accept the War Guilt Clause where they would have to
take full responsibility for the outbreak of the war.
People felt that the allied demands were completely unreasonable:
In 1921 the repayment sum was fixed at £6600 million (269 billion gold marks)
Their army was to be reduced down to 100,000 which was a blow for a nation that
had such strong national pride and believed in a powerful Germany
German navy limited to 6 battleships, 6 cruisers, 12 destroyers, 12 torpedo boats
and no submarines. This is what inspired the Kapp putsch.
Many of Germany’s territories were to be given away (lost 12% of its land), the most
damaging to Germany’s pride were those given to France such as Alsace Lorraine.
National pride plummeted. German Historian Golo Mann “Versailles hung like a milestone
around the neck of the Weimar Republic”.
The treaty of Versailles provided the right with effective anti-republican propaganda for a
decade and a half and meant that electoral support for the moderate, pro-republican
parties was diminishing as support for anti-republican parties was on the rise:
EX: in Jan 1919 SPD have 38% of the vote but by 1920 they have just 21%.
EX: the Nationalist DNVP’s percentage of the vote increased from 10.3% in January
1919, to 14.9% in 1920.
The treaty of Versailles meant that the Weimar Republic was weak from the outset and was
the centre of internal economic and political difficulties that evolved in Germany after 1919.
Essentially, the Treaty of Versailles is the explanation behind all of Weimar’s problems, as:
Many people in Germany were bitter and blamed the republic
It provided a platform for anti-republican propaganda
It fuelled the extremist threat. It served to radicalise people, which put them in a
mind-set which was by no means prepared for democracy.
The reparations were the main cause of Germany’s economic difficulties
Paragraph 2 – constitution
It is argued that the Weimar Republic was doomed from the start due to a fundamentally
weak constitution.
Right-wing institutions from the Second Reich remained intact and were given substantial
power:
The Army, other than restrictions from the treaty of Versailles, was left virtually
untouched. They were still the extreme right wing group from Wilhelmine Germany.
The constitution failed to reorganise the army to be suited to a liberal democracy.
They didn’t have genuine support for the government and thus failed to play the
protective role against the threat from the right Kapp Putsch.
It can also be claimed that the army were responsible for creating the stab in the
back myth Hindenburg used Weimar politicians as a scapegoat, to pass the buck
for the loss of the war.
The Judiciary was left untouched. Their loyalties did not reside with the Weimar
republic, and they were similarly still a fundamentally right-wing conservative elite
institution, incompatible with democracy. The right committed 354 murders, 326
were acquitted. Left committed 22 murders, 10 were sentenced to death. Hitler only
went to prison for 9 months after the Munich Putsch. After the Kapp putsch, 900
rebels were tried for treason, only one went to prison.
The system of proportional representation made for unstable coalition governments:
republic 1919-24” how far do you agree with this statement?
Paragraph 1 – treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was a disaster. Throughout Germany there was widespread rejection
and condemnation of its terms.
The fact that it was signed is seen to have undermined the Weimar Republic in itself, as
those who signed it became known as the ‘November criminals’ and this gave birth to the
‘stab in the back’ myth where it became commonly believed that…
Germany found it impossible to accept the War Guilt Clause where they would have to
take full responsibility for the outbreak of the war.
People felt that the allied demands were completely unreasonable:
In 1921 the repayment sum was fixed at £6600 million (269 billion gold marks)
Their army was to be reduced down to 100,000 which was a blow for a nation that
had such strong national pride and believed in a powerful Germany
German navy limited to 6 battleships, 6 cruisers, 12 destroyers, 12 torpedo boats
and no submarines. This is what inspired the Kapp putsch.
Many of Germany’s territories were to be given away (lost 12% of its land), the most
damaging to Germany’s pride were those given to France such as Alsace Lorraine.
National pride plummeted. German Historian Golo Mann “Versailles hung like a milestone
around the neck of the Weimar Republic”.
The treaty of Versailles provided the right with effective anti-republican propaganda for a
decade and a half and meant that electoral support for the moderate, pro-republican
parties was diminishing as support for anti-republican parties was on the rise:
EX: in Jan 1919 SPD have 38% of the vote but by 1920 they have just 21%.
EX: the Nationalist DNVP’s percentage of the vote increased from 10.3% in January
1919, to 14.9% in 1920.
The treaty of Versailles meant that the Weimar Republic was weak from the outset and was
the centre of internal economic and political difficulties that evolved in Germany after 1919.
Essentially, the Treaty of Versailles is the explanation behind all of Weimar’s problems, as:
Many people in Germany were bitter and blamed the republic
It provided a platform for anti-republican propaganda
It fuelled the extremist threat. It served to radicalise people, which put them in a
mind-set which was by no means prepared for democracy.
The reparations were the main cause of Germany’s economic difficulties
Paragraph 2 – constitution
It is argued that the Weimar Republic was doomed from the start due to a fundamentally
weak constitution.
Right-wing institutions from the Second Reich remained intact and were given substantial
power:
The Army, other than restrictions from the treaty of Versailles, was left virtually
untouched. They were still the extreme right wing group from Wilhelmine Germany.
The constitution failed to reorganise the army to be suited to a liberal democracy.
They didn’t have genuine support for the government and thus failed to play the
protective role against the threat from the right Kapp Putsch.
It can also be claimed that the army were responsible for creating the stab in the
back myth Hindenburg used Weimar politicians as a scapegoat, to pass the buck
for the loss of the war.
The Judiciary was left untouched. Their loyalties did not reside with the Weimar
republic, and they were similarly still a fundamentally right-wing conservative elite
institution, incompatible with democracy. The right committed 354 murders, 326
were acquitted. Left committed 22 murders, 10 were sentenced to death. Hitler only
went to prison for 9 months after the Munich Putsch. After the Kapp putsch, 900
rebels were tried for treason, only one went to prison.
The system of proportional representation made for unstable coalition governments:
